1864 $1 (Regular Strike)
Series: Liberty Seated Dollars 1840-1873
PCGS MS66
PCGS MS65+
PCGS MS65+
- PCGS #:
- 6954
- Designer:
- Christian Gobrecht
- Edge:
- Reeded
- Diameter:
- 38.10 millimeters
- Weight:
- 26.73 grams
- Mintage:
- 30,700
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- 90% Silver, 10% Copper
- Auction Record:
- $80,500 • MS65 • 08-18-2011 • Stack's Bowers
Major Varieties
- 1864 $1
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 1,200 |
| 60 or Better | 45 |
| 65 or Better | 8 |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-4.9 |
| 60 or Better | R-8.6 |
| 65 or Better | R-9.6 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 5 / 30 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 8 / 30 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 18 / 30 TIE |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 12 / 45 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 14 / 45 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 26 / 45 TIE |
Condition Census What Is This?
|
#1 Est. MS66
Legend Collection; Dell Loy Hansen. This coin is no longer encapsulated in a PCGS holder. |
#2 PCGS MS65+
|
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#2 PCGS MS65+
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#2 PCGS MS65+
“The Blue Moon Collection, Part I,” Stack’s Bowers, March 30, 2017, Lot 2582 – $76,375; "The American Girls Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). |
#5 PCGS MS65
Stack’s Bowers, March 21, 2012, Lot 4128 – $40,365. |
#5 PCGS MS65
As NGC MS65 #367229-010. “The Richard J. Chouinard Collection of United States Coins, Part One,” Heritage Auctions, January 12, 2005, Lot 30279 – $21,850; “The Madison Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 10, 2008, Lot 2945 – $29,900; Heritage Auctions, May 28, 2009, Lot 958 – $18,400; Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2010, Lot 2601 – $21,850. As PCGS MS65 #41700163. |
#5 PCGS MS65
As PCGS MS65 #1600817. “The James Mossman Collection,” January 8, 2009, Lot 3957 – $51,750. As PCGS MS65 #64213242. |
#5 PCGS MS65
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#5 PCGS MS65
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The 1864 Liberty Seated Dollar
You wouldn't know it by the scarcity of circulating silver coins during the Civil War, but American silver production surged between 1861 and 1864, with $11 million coming from Nevada's Comstock Lode alone in 1864. Still, this five-fold surge in output was dwarfed by the massive outlays required to operate the federal government and fund the war effort. Federal spending, which averaged $50 to $60 million annually before the conflict, reached $1.33 billion a year by war's end. While the West's mineral wealth proved vital to the North's eventual victory, the United States still incurred immense national debt to preserve the Union.
For everyday Americans, coins — especially those struck in silver and gold — no longer traded at par with paper money, making them far too valuable to spend in daily commerce. Nevertheless, the Mint fulfilled its statutory mandate by continuing production. Rather than entering circulation, the majority of these silver dollars and gold pieces were deployed to back bank balance sheets, satisfy federal customs duties, and settle international trade debts.
Struck across just four dates in 1864 — January 13, April 30, May 17, and July 29 — the 1864 Liberty Seated Dollar (#6954) saw the vast majority of its production concentrated in the May and July runs. One die pair was used to strike all 30,700 coins.
|
1864 Liberty Seated Dollar Production Dates |
|||
| January 13, 1864 | 5,700 struck | April 30, 1864 | 2,000 struck |
| May 17, 1864 | 8,500 struck | July 29, 1864 | 14,500 struck |
| Uncertain Date | 470 struck (Proofs) | ||
| Total Mintage: 30,700 coins | |||
Nearly the entire mintage was shipped overseas to pay for foreign goods and top-tier Mint State examples are exceptionally scarce today. Fortunately for collectors, a reliable supply of lightly circulated pieces survived, offering an accessible and attractively priced entry point into Civil War silver.
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